Shloka 65
Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)
“इन्द्रदेवताका जो पालनरूप धर्म है, वही क्षत्रियोंका भी है और अग्निदेवका जो सर्वभक्षित्व नामक गुण है, वह ब्राह्मणोंका है। मेरा बल वेदरूपी अग्नि है; अतः मैं क्षुधाकी शान्तिके लिये सब कुछ भक्षण करूँगा ।।
indradevatākā yo pālanarūpa dharmaḥ, sa eva kṣatriyāṇām api; agnidevasya ca yaḥ sarvabhakṣitva-nāmā guṇaḥ, sa brāhmaṇānām. mama balaṃ veda-rūpo 'gniḥ; ataḥ kṣudhā-śāntyai sarvaṃ kiñcid bhakṣayiṣyāmi. yathā yathaiva jīved dhi tat kartavyam ahelayā; jīvitaṃ maraṇāc chreyo jīvan dharmam avāpnuyāt.
他说：“因陀罗所具的护持之责，也是刹帝利的达摩；阿耆尼之性——能吞食一切——则属于婆罗门。我的力量是作为吠陀之火；因此，为了平息饥饿，我将吃尽眼前所有。凡能使人活下去的方法，都应毫不迟疑地去做；生胜于死，因为活着仍可获得达摩（法）。”
घपच उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse argues for a pragmatic ethic: preserving life is preferable to death because continued living keeps open the possibility of practicing and attaining dharma. It frames this within varṇa-based ideals—kṣatriyas protect like Indra, brāhmaṇas are linked to Agni’s consuming sacrificial power—and uses that logic to justify action taken to relieve hunger.
A speaker (as given in the citation) defends an intention to consume whatever is available to end hunger, grounding the justification in traditional associations: Indra’s protective dharma aligns with kṣatriya duty, and Agni’s all-consuming nature aligns with brāhmaṇas through the Veda and sacrifice. The conclusion is that one should do what is necessary to survive, without wavering, since life enables the pursuit of dharma.